Fire-escape



('No Model.)

e W. D. RUMSEY.

FIRE ESCAPE No. 531,007,, Patented Dec. 18, 1894'.

STATES PATE T OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. RUMSEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

srncrrrcarron forming part of Letters Patent No 531,007, dated December 1e, 1 s94.

Application filed February 1 1 894.. Serial No. 498,705. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. RUMsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in, the county of Wayne and Stateof Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked phereon, which form a part of this specifica- 1on. a

This invention relates to new'and useful improvements in fire escapes, and consists in a certain construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a fire escape that shall afford a safe and rapid descent from a burning building, and in which the construction is such as to protect those in descent from fire and smoke and aiford the greatest possible capacity for the space occupied. This object is attained by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of a portion of a building provided with my improved fire escape. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective of a section of the escape, the front and side wall of the casing or shaft being removed to show the interior arrangement.

Referring to the letters of reference, A designates the inclosing casing or shaft. shaft, where it is designed to apply the escape to a building in the course of construction, may be made of brick or other suitable material and built in the wall of the building, so as to stand flush with the face of the wall or project partially therefrom, as desired, and extends from the ground to the top of the building; but where the escape is applied to buildings already constructed, the casing is made preferably of sheet-iron and secured to the wall of the building in the manner shown in Fig. 1, and extends from the first story to the top between two rows of windows, being provided in its outer face with a series of This windows 5 which afiord light to the interior thereof.

Secured to the building so as to connect the windows of each floor with the shaft A, is a series of balconies B which communicate with the interior of the shaft, from each side, through the oppositely arranged doors 0 therein. Located within the casing or shaft are two independent lines of stairs which consist of a series of flights that cross each other, and the interior of the shaft, in opposite directions.

Each line of stairs is provided with separate landings for the flights thereof, as shown at D and E in Fig. 2. Said landings are 10- cated on opposite sides of the shaft on a plane with the various exterior balconies B, and are accessible therefrom through the doors in the sides of said shaft, by which arrangement an escape of double capacity is provided from any floor of the building, and also, an uninterrupted descent for those taking either line of stairs, which maybeillustr'ated as follows: In the event of the shaft being entered from both sides of the upper balcony, those entering from the right will pass down the flights F having the landings D, while those entering from the left pass down the flights G having the landings E, thus obviating the possibility of the lines becoming confused and afiording separate stairs for those entering the shaft from opposite sides at the same time from any floor.

Each flight of stairs is composed of two is provided with a hinged lid H which closes an opening therein that communicates with the ladder I within the casing, thereby enabling the escape to be entered from the roof of the building. 7

To prevent falling from the various flights ICO at their upper end, and to more perfectly vide the two lines of stairs, a triangular screen guard J is secured between the upper diverging ends of the series of opposed flights F, G, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

It will be understood, that, where there is sufficient room, as on public buildings, the shaft may be of such width as to enable the incline of the flights to be reduced by increasingtheirlength, thereby enabling the descent to be easily made even by the aged and infirm.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire escape, the combination of a series of opposed balconies or landings arranged in vertical order, two distinct lines of stairs connecting said landings, said lines of stairs consisting of a series of independent flights extending from the opposed landings of the same plane in opposite directions to the succeeding lower landings so that said flights shall cross in their descent and the screen guard between the upper ends of said flights.

2. The combination with the inclosing shaft, the balconies communicating therewith on opposite sides, the series of landings located within the shaft and arranged in vertical order on opposite sides thereof on a plane with saidbalconies, two independent lines of stairs connecting said landings, said stairs consisting of a series of flights leading from opposite landings of the same plane and extending across theinterior of the shaftin opposite directions to the succeeding landings below.

The combination of the shaft, the series of landings located on opposite sides thereof in the same plane and in vertical order, two lines of stairs connecting said landings consisting of a series of independent flights extending between the landings of an upper and lower plane and crossing the interior of the shaft in opposite directions and the screen guard between the upper ends of said flights.

4. The combination of the shaft having a series of entrances in opposite sides in vertical order, a series of opposite landings on each side of said shaft at said entrances, a series of flights of stairs connecting said landings and crossing the interior of the shaft in opposite directions, and the screen guard between the upper ends of said flights.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM D. RUMSEY.

Witnesses:

E. S. WHEELER, B. F. WHEELER. 

